Suwon Samsung Bluewings won Group H of 2011 AFC Champions League as a convincing 3-0 victory over Shanghai Shenhua at Shanghai Hongkou Stadium saw them edge out Kashima Antlers on goals scored.

Ha tae-gyun struck twice as he headed the visitors in front after 12 minutes before netting the second 10 minutes after the break. Shin Se-gye added a third goal two minutes before time as the K-League side walked away with all three points.

Xin Feng came close to an opener five minutes from the start, connecting with Zheng Wei’s free-kick from the left but seeing his glancing header flick the crossbar.

The Koreans then gained the upper hand as they began to dominate midfield.

Ha collected a failed attempted clearance by goalkeeper Dong Lei but his 15-yard drive hit Xiong Fei. However, the visitors soon opened the scoring.

Choi Sung-kuk beat Xiong and then forced Dong to palm away is powerful shot at full stretch.

Abdulkader Dakka then made a last-gasp intervention to deny Park Jong-jin’s follow-up, only to see the ball bounce up in front of the goal-line, which enabled Ha to head home comfortably.

Five minutes after the half-hour mark, Choi thought he doubled the advantage for Suwon with a fierce close-range shot, only to see Dong make an excellent save to deny him.

The visitors continued to dominate their Chinese rivals after the break.

Park made a strong run into penalty area just two minutes into the second period, poking the ball wide off the right post when he found himself one-on-one with Dong.

As the hosts began to look more lethargic, Suwon stepped up pressure on the Shanghai defence and turned the game into a one-sided affair as they extended their lead.

Dong parried out a 20-yard effort from Ha but Park swooped on the rebound and delivered a pass across the face of goal for Ha to steer the ball into the net.

Xin wasted an effort of note for the hosts on the hour mark, heading Zheng’s corner straight at keeper Jung Sung-ryong.

Shanghai almost pulled a goal back but an unmarked Wang Yang could not find the target from Wen Huyi’s inviting cross.

Suwon then claimed their third goal when substitute Yeom Ki-hun cut into box before delivering a smart pass for Shin to fire past Dong.

Kashima Antlers came from a goal down to overcome Sydney FC 2-1 at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

Matthew Jurman headed Sydney into a first-half lead but Kashima fought back after the break and goals from Yuya Osako and Takuya Nozawa sealed their third win in this season’s competition.

Sydney had a good chance to take the lead after just two minutes when Bruno Cazarine found space in the box but keeper Hitoshi Sogahata did well to deny the forward’s low shot with an outstretched leg.

Nick Carle was then off target when well placed before keeper Liam Reddy held Daigo Nishi’s glancing diving header at the other end.

Nozawa fired a free-kick straight at the Sydney custodian in the 16th minute before Kenji Koyano picked out Reddy with a side foot effort after the ball had broken to him at the edge of the box following Osako’s run.

Sydney then took the lead in the 25th minute when Jurman met a corner from the left with a powerful header inside the six-yard box that left Sogahata with no chance.

Mitsuo Ogasawara then saw a goal-bound effort deflected over by the head of Jurman and Nozawa’s strike from range was comfortably held by Reddy as Sydney went in at the break a goal to the good.

The second-half took a while to warm up but Kashima eventually conjured an equaliser in the 64th minute when Masahiko Inoha’s cross from the left was nodded back across goal and Osako was on hand to sweep home a volley from close range.

The forward then directed a header wide of the far post before Cazarine was off target with his head at the other end from Terry McFlynn’s intelligent ball forward.

Reddy had to be alert to preserve the status quo as a nice ball inside the full-back released Toru Araiba down the left and he drove into the box but elected to shoot when he might have crossed and the Sydney keeper parried his effort.

However, the hosts netted the winner with six minutes to go when Nozawa’s low free-kick from 25 yards threaded its way through the Sydney wall and a crowded penalty area to find the bottom corner past a diving Reddy.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings booked their place in the second round of the 2011 AFC Champions League with a 3-1 victory over Sydney FC at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

Despite Sydney’s need for victory, Suwon started brightly and almost took the lead in the 15th minute when a long, floated free-kick by Park Jong-jin from just past the halfway line found Kwak Hee-joo near the penalty spot but the visitors were relieved to see the central defender’s looping header bounce off the top of the crossbar.

Just as Sydney were looking more comfortable, albeit without troubling Jung Sung-ryong in the Suwon goal, they fell behind on the half-hour. A free-kick was curled behind the Sydney backline for Ha to nod home from the edge of the six-yard box.

Five minutes after the restart, Suwon doubled their advantage. Neretljak curled a free-kick – awarded just outside the area – over the Sydney wall and into the unguarded left side of the net.

Sydney immediately pulled a goal back. Substitute Rhyan Grant broke free down the left and his crossed was not dealt with by the Suwon defence. The ball bounced through to Cazarine, who slotted the ball past Jung from close range.

The goal gave Sydney belief that they could get something from the game and soon after, the Brazilian was forcing a diving stop from Jung with a well-placed header as Suwon were pushed onto the back foot.

Sydney almost drew level with 15 minutes remaining. Nick Carle brought the ball out of defence from a corner and found Andrew Durante with a fine pass. Through on goal, Durante chose to pass to Grant just inside the area allowing Jung to dive and intercept.

The contest was settled in style with 10 minutes to go. Yeom, introduced as a substitute, picked up the ball on the right corner of the penalty area and curled a low shot into the far corner that give keeper Liam Reddy no chance.

Shinzo Koroki scored twice as Kashima Antlers closed in on a place in the last 16 of the 2011 AFC Champions League with a 2-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

Kashima took a lead in the 32nd minute when Koroki got on the end of a Mitsuo Ogasawara free-kick before the 24-year-old forward finished from close range following Fellype Gabriel’s shot with 10 minutes to go.

Kashima goalkeeper Hitoshi Sogahata also made some fine saves to help his side collect three points.

With the win, Kashima moved onto nine points with one game remaining while Shanghai remain bottom with two points in Group H.

The opener came for hosts in the 32nd minute, when Koroki rose high in the area to head an Ogasawara set-piece into the back of the net.

Shanghai had to beat the J.League hosts to keep their own hopes alive but were without two attackers, Luis Salmeron and Wen Huyi, due to suspension and the visitors often looked in Columbian forward Duvier Riascos’ direction with attacking midfielder Cao Yunding playing off him.

After the break, Shanghai boss Xi Zhikang shifted defender Jiang Jiajun up front in a bid to mount a comeback.

Shanghai went close with Riascos’ mid-range effort soon after the break before the Columbian forward cut into the box and shot from close range in the 56th minute but both attempts were denied by Sogahata.

The Kashima goalkeeper was called into further action to deal with Jiang’s attempt in the 61st minute and Feng Renliang’s controlled shot from distance in the 75th minute.

Soon after Kashima doubled their lead through a corner, Koroki reacted quickest to a rebound after substitute midfielder Gabriel’s initial effort had been saved.

Yuzo Tashiro’s goal saw Kashima Antlers rescue a 1-1 draw with Suwon Samsung Bluewings in Group H of the 2011 AFC Champions League at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

Suwon went ahead in the 48th minute through Yeom Ki-hoon’s free-kick but Tashiro leveled for Kashima in the 55th minute.

Playing at the National Stadium due to damage to Kashima’s home ground following last month’s earthquake, the top two teams in Group H battled hard throughout the contest.

Their first notable opening came in the 26th minute when Takuya Nozawa fired narrowly wide from just outside the box.

Suwon, who were held to a 1-1 draw in the first game in Korea two weeks ago, created a couple of chances late in the first-half through Ha Tae-goon and Yeom on the counter but Ha’s effort was denied by Kashima goalkeeper Hitoshi Sogahata while Yeom’s shot was off target.

The game then came alive soon after the break.

Suwon won a free-kick after Park Jong-jin, on for forward Choi Sung-kuk, was fouled just outside the box and Yeom found the right corner of the net with a left-footed effort to give the visitors the lead.

Kashima responded quickly and seven minutes later they leveled the scores, also from a set piece. Midfielder Takeshi Aoki was brought down outside the box on the right and Nozawa took the free-kick, delivering a cross towards substitute Yasushi Endo at the far post. The young midfielder knocked the ball to forward Tashiro, who tapped in from close range.

An excellent last-gasp winner from Mark Bridge kept Sydney FC’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the 2011 AFC Champions League well and truly alive after they secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Shanghai Shenhua at Shanghai Hongkou Stadium.

Bruno Cazarine struck twice as the Sky Blues picked up their first win in the Group H campaign, though they had to twice come back from one goal down before Bridge’s decisive intervention in stoppage time.

Jiang Jiajun put the hosts ahead after only eight minutes before Cazarine cancelled out the strike during first-half stoppage time.

An own goal from Scott Jamieson saw Shanghai restore their lead seven minutes after the break but Cazarine hauled the hosts back a minute before the hour mark with a composed effort. Bridge then gave the visitors all three points with a spectacular volley.

The Sky Blues narrowed the gap between pacesetters Kashima Antlers and Suwon Samsung Samsung Bluewings to only one point with two games to go after the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in Tokyo.

Shanghai had the first chance after four minutes when Colombian striker Duvier Riascos broke clear down the right before sending a low cross for Jiang Jiajun to stab wide from 10 yards.

The hosts took the lead soon after when Jiang Kun smartly clipped a free-kick from the left towards the unmarked Jiang Jiajun, who cut into the box before steering the ball past keeper Liam Reddy.

Bridge created the first meaningful action for the visitors with a long-range effort after 15 minutes but it flew wide.

On the stroke of half-hour mark, Shannon Cole picked out Matthew Jurman with a well-weighted free-kick only for the defender to head the ball over the frame of the goal.

However, Sydney equalised In the dying minutes of the first period. Cole delivered a cross into the path of Cazarine and he calmly finished past the onrushing Qiu Shengjiong with just the Shanghai keeper to beat.

The hosts immediately forged down the other end and Luis Salmeron set-up Riascos with a well-timed pass but the Colombian powered the ball over from 15 yards.

Riascos threatened Reddy with a 25-yard curling shot shortly after the break but his effort was off target.

Shanghai then went in front for a second time as Jiang Kun fired a cross across the face of goal and Jamieson headed the ball past Reddy into his own net under pressure from Salmeron.

The visitors levelled seven minutes later when Bridge headed Terry McFlynn’s cross to Cazarine, who smartly chested the ball down before beating Qiu with an excellent finish.
But with the game seemingly heading for a draw, Bridge struck a dramatic winner, volleying Dimitri Petratos’ header into the bottom corner to give Sydney three much-needed points.

Sydney FC 1-1 Shanghai Shenhua
Sydney FC had a golden opportunity to take a commanding position in the Group H game but could only manage a 1-1 draw with Shanghai Shenhua.

Sydney dominated the game for very long periods but couldn’t convert enough chances to win the game. Surprisingly however it Shanghai who made the more aggressive start and took the lead after just six minutes through striker Duvier Riascos.

The burly striker was first to react to Luis Salmeron’s flick on, turning inside Stephan Keller and unleashing a left foot shot that deflected off Sebastian Ryall to leave goalkeeper Liam Reddy stranded.

But the hosts were back on level terms just six minutes later. Stand-in Sydney skipper Stuart Musialik was given too much time in midfield and he combined with Bruno Cazarine to set up Carle, whose strike form the edge of the box proved too hot for keeper Qiu Shenjiong to handle.

Sydney took control from that point on, forcing Shanghai to defend deep in their own half and creating a host of chances.

The visitors were having trouble coping with the movement of Carle, David Williams and Mark Bridge and it was the latter to that almost gave the Sky Blues the lead, forcing a couple of smart saves out of Qiu.

On the half hour some desperate last ditch defending from Dai Lin denied Carle his second while Qiu again denied Bridge with a diving one-handed save to tip his shot around the post.

That string of missed chances almost came back to haunt Sydney just before the break as the lively Feng Renliang was twice denied a goal, once by the crossbar and then by a fine low save by Reddy.

It was just as frenetic after the break as both sides continued to create chances.

First on 54 minutes Riascos struck a stinging volley from edge of box which, luckily for Sydney, was straight at Reddy.

And then two minutes later the Sky Blues should have gone in front when Cazarine brilliantly chested down Bridge’s left-wing cross only to drag his shot wide.

The visitors seemed content to sit back and hold on for a draw from then on, getting men behind the ball at every opportunity.

It made it difficult for Sydney to the find space to create many clear-cut chances but both Hirofumi Moriyasu and Keller came close in the last 20 minutes.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1-1 Kashima Antlers
A Koji Nakata strike earned Kashima Antlers a 1-1 draw with Suwon Samsung Bluewings in Group H of the 2011 AFC Champions League.

It was a cagey opening between two powerhouses of East Asia football. Ha Tae-gyun was the liveliest player on the pitch in the early stages and the hat-trick hero from Suwon’s 4-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua forced a save out of Hitoshi Sogahata in the third minute after dancing round two Kashima challenges.

The same player stayed on his feet in the area after 20 minutes when he looked to have been fouled by Daiki Iwamasa but while Suwon were on top, Kashima came close six minutes later as Takuya Nozawa’s free-kick just cleared the frame of the Suwon goal.

As the half progressed, Kashima were forcing their way back into the game and 10 minutes before the break, created another opportunity when a goal-kick was headed on twice allowing Shinzo Koroki to outpace Mato Neretljak and drive into the Suwon area but while the striker lifted the ball over goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryeong, it also cleared the bar.

Chances were at a premium in the second-half. Kashima had lost their impetus from the closing stages of the first 45 minutes and it took Suwon until the 67th minute to break the deadlock.

A long throw-in from the left side by Yang Sang-min was nodded on by Ha and Yeom got to the ball just ahead of the advancing Sogahata to head it over the line.

Kashima leveled when a Nozawa corner was headed on by Iwamasa to land at the feet of an unmarked Nakata, who swept the ball home from close range.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings 4-0 Shanghai Shenhua
Ha Tae-gyun’s scored a hat-trick for Suwon Samsung Bluewings as they thumped Shanghai Shenhua 4 -0 in their Group H game of the 2011 AFC Champions League. The win places Suwon as leaders in their group after two rounds.

It was a very quick start with Suwon scoring with their first attack of the game in the third minute. A long ball was floated into the penalty area, it  fell to Ha around the penalty spot and the striker held off the challenge of Jiang Jia Jun with his right arm to fire a low shot into the net with his left foot.

The second goal towards the end of the first half (43rd minute), when Yeom Ki-hyun beat two defenders on the left side and his low cross was cleared by Jiang on the edge of the six-yard box only as far as Oh Jang-eun, who passed the ball into the bottom corner of the Shanghai goal.

China’s Shanghai had been reduced to long-range shots for most of the first half and didn’t really get close enough to pose a major threat to Suwon.

On the hour mark, Ha scored his second and Suwon’s third. Choi Sung-kuk gained possession outside the Chinese area and slipped a delightful ball through for the striker to run onto and clip past the advancing Wang.

Shanghai had several chances late into the second half but Luis Salmeron unable to convert.

Ha then scored his third for the night to put Suwon four up, when he side-footed Oh Beom-seok’s looping cross into the net from just outside of the box.

Sydney FC (0 – 0) Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Ten-man Sydney FC and Suwon Samsung Bluewings played out a hard-fought scoreless draw in their opening AFC Champions League Group H match at the Sydney Football Stadium on Wednesday.

The home side were forced to play a man short for nearly an hour in a sometimes tempestuous contest after skipper Terry McFlynn was dismissed for stamping on Lee Sang-ho.

Suwon fielded their quartet of new signings in defender Hwang Jae-won, midfielder Lee Yong-rae, striker Yeom Ki-hoon as well as Korea Republic’s 2010 FIFA World Cup goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong.

Despite high-tempo movement at times Suwon displayed rustiness on a number of occasions ahead of the K-League season, which commences this weekend, while Sydney, whose A-League season concluded three weeks ago, extended their unbeaten run to nine matches in their first continental outing for three years.

Sydney’s new signing David Williams had a quiet debut on the right flank where he was rarely allowed enough latitude to display his speed. Striker Bruno Cazarine was invariably forced to battle alone up front following the dismissal of McFlynn.

In a match of few openings Suwon’s Choi Sung-kuk had perhaps the best chance of the contest after just eight minutes but the visiting captain spurned a glorious opportunity by blazing well over with only exposed goalkeeper Liam Reddy to beat.

At the other end the home side failed to test the visiting goalkeeper until moments before half-time with Sydney’s Japanese midfielder Hirofumi Moriyasu warming the palms of keeper Jung from distance.

The Koreans commenced the second period in bright fashion with Yang Sang-min forcing a fine sprawling save from Reddy, before Oh Jang-eun narrowly cleared the crossbar with a spectacular overhead kick.

Suwon defender Mato Neretljak curled a free-kick around the wall with five minutes remaining only for the ball to clear the near post of a diving Reddy.

Almost immediately after Sydney defender Stephan Keller directed a header wide as the home side ramped up the pressure in the final minutes.

However a goal was not forthcoming for either side, meaning they both had to settle for a share of the spoils in their ACL opener.

Kashima Antlers (0 – 0) Shanghai Shenhua
Kashima Antlers were held by Shanghai Shenhua in a goalless draw at Hongkou Stadium on Wednesday in their AFC Champions League Group H opener.

The visitors from Japan were the better of the two sides throughout the match, but they failed to break Shanghai’s gritty defence.

All four sides in the group are tied on one point after Sydney FC and Suwon Samsung Bluewings also played out a goalless draw in Sydney earlier on Wednesday.

The visitors looked more dangerous in the first half, having plenty of possession while Shanghai appeared defensive-minded, and they were the first to threaten in the early exchanges.

Shanghai goalkeeper Wang Dalei made no mistake in denying Takuya Nozawa’s two long-range efforts shortly after the match got underway.

Kashima had another sniff of goal with 15 minutes gone when Fellype Gabriel headed Nozawa’s corner into the path of the onrushing Takeshi Aoki at the far post, only to see Wang make a timely block to deny the midfielder.

It was not until 20 minutes into the game that the hosts made their first attempt when Duvier Riascos’ left-footed long-range effort was collected by keeper Hitoshi Sogahata with ease.

Luis Salmeron then posed a real threat to Sogahata, heading Jiang Kun’s cross from the right over the crossbar.

Four minutes after the half-hour mark, Fellype Gabriel headed Nozawa’s cross across the face of goal, only to see Shanghai’s Syrian defender Abdulkader Dakka react quickly to clear it.

Kashima accelerated their attacking pace after the interval as the hosts looked determined to guard the goal with a massed defence.

However, Shanghai created a golden opportunity nine minutes into the second period through a counter-attack.

Jiang’s volley on the edge of the penalty area deflected off a defender before Salmeron collected the loose ball from 10 yards, but his lobbed shot wasn’t strong enough to beat Sogahata.

Kashima then turned the remainder of the game into a one-sided affair, having Shanghai pinned inside their own half.

But the visitors were still unable to produce much real attacking threat while Salmeron called Sogahata into action following a counter attack four minutes after the hour mark. The Argentinean striker latched onto a well-weighted cross from Wu Xi before clipping a 15-yard effort which was parried out by the keeper with a superb reflex save.

Kashima came close to a first goal four minutes later when a corner by Alex caused a goalmouth scramble with Fellype Gabriel hitting a spectacular bicycle kick that flew just over the bar.

But neither side managed to create any meaningful action in the last 20 minutes, meaning they had to settle for a share of the points.

Today we move on to Group H and the East of the AFC Asian Champions League 2011.

Group H is made up of the following teams:

• KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN)
• SHANGHAI SHENHUA (CHN)
• SUWON SAMSUNG BLUEWINGS (KOR)
• SYDNEY FC (AUS)

KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN)
Winners of the 209  J League, Kashima ended the 2010 season in 4th position with 16 wins, 12 draws and 6 loses. Although 4th, Kashima only missed out on 2nd by 2 points, so a very tight 2010 season in which Kashima actually performed really well. Given their past season, you can be confident that they will come into this year’s AFC Champions League keen to continue their good form as the 2011 season also kicks off. Now Group H is a very tough group but Kashima must be one of the favourites to progress.

SHANGHAI SHENHUA (CHN)
Shanhai had a very successful 2010, finishing 3rd in the Chinese Super League only 2 points behind 2nd with 14 wins, 6 draws and 10 loses. The 10 loses is actually very high compared to the other top 3 places. However the number of wins was actually second best. With no appearance in the 2010 AFC Champions League, Shanghai is another team that will be eager to get off to a good start. This is a very tough group but they have a chance to make second if they can atleast win their home games.

SUWON SAMSUNG BLUEWINGS (KOR)
Suwon did not have a great 2010 domestically finishing 7 and 20 points off first position. Therefore it will be interesting how well they go. You would normally see them as another power house and as we know domestic performance doesn’t always equal AFC performance. In last year’s Champions League Suwon was knocked out in the first round of playoffs by eventual winner and fellow Korean outfit Seongnam. If Suwon isn’t the power house you would expect, then both Sydney and Shanghai have a great opportunity to progress.

SYDNEY FC (AUS)
After a fantastic 2009 season where Sydney was the standout team in the A League, 2010 has been a much different story with Sydney not making the playoffs. They did however have a late run which saw them just miss out. This is their 2nd appearance in the AFC Champions League and where the first Australian team to participate some 4 – 5 years ago. They have recruited for this competition and with a poor 2010 showing locally they will be keen to do much better internationally. They have a chance, but it is slim as this is a very tough group.

Top spot was up for grabs in Group H. Adelaide have managed to take top spot despite losing 1 – 0 at home to Shandong Luneng. Pohang Steelers, meanwhile, will join them in the knockout stages even though they ended up on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller against Japanese side Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Having one the away clash in China, Adelaide were favourites to win at home and take first place. There was however talk that Adelaide tend to get better results away from home, and that is how it turned out.

Shandong defended for much of the game, but a second-half counter-attack saw Li Wei skip past Adelaide defender Robert Cornthwaite before firing in the only goal of the game.

“It was a game that I thought we dominated,” said caretaker Adelaide coach Joe Mullen at full-time. “I think they only had one chance on goal. Although we conceded we still had plenty of time after that but we just couldn’t capitalise.”

Sanfrecce Hiroshima 4–3 Pohang Steelers

Pohang needed a result today to avoid meeting Kashima in the round of 16 clash. Sanfrecce however had other ideas and being a great form at the moment delivered a 7 goal thriller.

The hosts took the lead with less than a minute on the clock as Kohei Shimizu tapped in from close range. Kim Jae-sung then bought the Steelers level just three minutes later as both teams finally settled. Lee headed home just after half an hour to reclaim the lead for Sanfrecce and when Shinichiro Kuwada put them two ahead just before the break, it looked as if the Japanese outfit would make it three out of three; especially when Alexandro missed a spot-kick for the Steelers minutes later.

However, Kim Jae-sung pulled one back a few minutes into the second-half before Shin Hyung-min equalised from outside the box on the hour mark. Then, with just nine minutes left, Steelers defender Kim Tae-su brought down Koji Nakajima in the box, earning himself a red card. Hisato Sato stepped up, but instead of drilling the ball home he elected to pass his penalty to the onrushing Tomoaki Makino who sealed the victory.

Adelaide United has claimed top spot in Group H despite going down 1-0 to Shandong Luneng at Hindmarsh stadium in the final group game of the Asian Champions League.

A second-half goal to Lei Wei was enough for the the Chinese Super League side to secure the win, but Sanfreece’s 4-3 win over Pohang Steelers in Japan denied the current holder the chance to secure top billing in Group H.

Group G

Gamba Osaka 2-1 Suwon Samsung Bluewings

A last minute strike by Takashi Usami, assured Gamba Osaka first place in Group G.

Gamba started the game in second position, 2 points behind Suwon, who had also yet to lose a game.

Suwon scored first in the 58th minute through Jose Mota, his fifth goal of the competition.

However, the Koreans were pegged back only three minutes later by Takahiro Futagawa.

Scores remained at 1-1 until injury time when the 17-year-old Usami netted the winner.

Gamba now lead the group with 1 point and play their final group game away to Henan. Suwon host Singapore Armed Forces in a game they will be expected to win convincingly.

Singapore Armed Forces 2-1 Henan Construction

Singapore Armed Forces won their first AFC Champions League game last night, beating Henan Construction by 2 – 1. This leaves the Chinese Super League side propping up the table with one match remaining.

Daniel Bennett’s 66th minute strike was equalised by Le Yu six minutes later but Erwan Gunawan Suherman assured Singapore’s first win with 12 minutes to go.

Group H

Pohang Steelers 0-0 Adelaide United

Pohang Steelers and Adelaide United have both progressed through to the next round at the expense of Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Shandong Luneng, by sharing the points with a 0 – 0 draw.

Adelaide lead by goal difference and host Shandong on matchday 6. Pohnag are away to Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Shandong Luneng 2-3 Sanfrecce Hiroshima

A thrilling second-half, which saw four goals scored, left Sanfrecce Hiroshima the eventual winner but it was all in vain as Adelaide and Pohang secured the top two spots in the group.

Shandong took the lead through a Peng Han penalty on the 45 minute mark before Koji Morisaki levelled for Sanfrecce in the 75th minute. Sanfrecce made it 2 – 1 five minutes later thanks to Tadanari Lee but Shandong battled back to level five minutes from time thanks to Fred Benson. Lee was to have the last say though as he scored on the stroke of full time.

Group C

Pakhtakor Tashkent 3-2 Al-Ain

Pakhtakor needed a win over Al-Ain of UAE to all but guarantee their qualification to the second round. It didn’t however start that favourably when Jorge Valdivia gave Al Ain the lead after just three minutes with a trademark free kick.

Odil Ahmedov was left unmarked to head home an equaliser for Pakhtakor just six minutes later. Three minutes later Ahmedov put Pakhtakor ahead with an excellent finish. A frantic opening 20 minutes to the second half ended with an equaliser via an own goal from Ilhomjon Suyunov. Ahmedov then completed the scoring, and his hat-trick, on 28 minutes from close range.

Sepahan 1-0 Al Shabab

Iran’s Sepahan knew a win was needed to stay alive in Group C, while a victory for Shabab would see them seal their path into the second round.

It was the home side who grabbed the only goal of the game to bag three vital points. Midfielder Ahmad Jamshidian’s tenth minute strike was enough to take Sepahan to the verge of qualification.

Group D

Al Ahli 2-1 Mes Kerman

Five time UAE League champions Al Ahli have endured a pretty miserable ACL campaign so far this season. Their victory over Mes Kerman probably won’t be enough to take them into the second round, although mathematical they still have hope.

Things started well for the home side when Farzad Hosseinkhani put through his own net to gift the Dubai based club the lead after just three minutes. Mehdi Rajabzadeh’s 75th minute equaliser looked to have condemned Al Ahli to elimination, but Ahmad Khalil’s 83rd minute penalty leaves them with a slim chance of second round qualification going into their final group game with Al Sadd on matchday 6.

Al Hilal 0-0 Al Sadd

Al Hilal lead group D with ten points from four games and a win would be enough to see them progress to the next round.

Despite the home side being unable to break down the 11-time Qatari League champions, the goalless draw confirmed Hilal’s qualification for the second round while Sadd know that a home win over Al Ahli on matchday 6 will be enough to secure their progression.

Adelaide United has qualified for the knockout stage of the Asian Champions League after battling its way to a 0-0 away draw against reigning champion Pohang Steelers.

The result at the Steelyard means both teams advance out of Group H, with Adelaide holding on to top spot – courtesy of a better head-to-head record – with a home game against Shandong Luneng still to be played.

Match Day 4 Tuesday of the AFC Champions League 2010 resulted in some upsets and wake up calls for many teams that had a easy road so far.

Group B

Zob Ahan have managed 2 major upsets in a matter of weeks against the Uzbek aristocrats Bunyodkor on Tuesday.

They followed up their MD3 3-0 home victory with a 1-0 win that takes them to the top of the table with 10 points and sends Bunyodkor tumbling down to third, with six points.

Al Ittihad, of Saudi Arabia, move to second on seven points after their 4-0 victory over bottom side Al Wahda, of UAE.

Mohammad Khalatbari took advantage of a goalkeeping error to score Zob Ahan’s winner in the first half as Bunyodkor finished the match with 10 men after their Brazilian star Rivaldo was sent off for a high challenge.

Two-time champions Al Ittihad were in fine form at home with Saud Kariri scoring twice and Abdelmalik Ziaya and Sultan Al Numare also finding the net.

Group D

Mes Kerman crushed the hopes of Al Sadd by sealing their last 16 place on MD4. Mes avenged their defeat from last week by winning 3-1.

After Khalfan Ibrahim gave Al Sadd the lead after seven minutes, Mes came storming back with goals from Brazilian Edinho, Ali Samareh and Paulo Zaltron.

Korean international Lee Young-pyo was Hilal’s hero as he scored the winner in injury time in Dubai. Yasser Al Qahtani and Christian Wilhelmsson had earlier given Hilal a 2-0 lead after only 16 minutes before the home side fought back through Ahmed Khalil and Cesar to make it 2-2.

Group F

Kashima Antlers have qualified for the round of 16 after beating Indonesia’s Persipura Jayapura 3-1.

Jeonbuk, are also mathematically guaranteed a place in the next round.

All goals in the Kashima-Persipura match came in the first half. Yasushi Endo gave Kashima the lead against a side who had conceded 14 in their previous two matches.

Yustina Pae equalised for Persipura for their second goal of the competition before Shinzo Korogi and Atsuto Uchida made it safe for the Antlers.

Korean national striker Lee Dong-gook scored a fine free-kick in the second half to give Jeonbuk their second straight victory over Changchun, in Jeonju.

Group H

Sanfrecce Hiroshima, upset group leaders Adelaide United’s 1-0 at the Big Arch. The first win  came courtesy of Hisato Sato’s goal at the stroke of half-time.

Adelaide now share first position with defending champions Pohang Steelers, who beat China’s Shandong Luneng 2-1 away.

Sanfrecce and Shandong have three points each.

Pohang needed a late goal from Kim Tae-su to beat Shandong. The visitors had taken the lead six minutes into the second half through Kim Jae-sung but substitute Li Jinyu equalised in the 73rd minute before Tae-su hit the winner five minutes from time.

Group A
Esteghlal 3-0 Al Gharafa
Al Ahli 5-1 Al-Jazira

Al Gharafa couldn’t compete with Esteghlal today and went down 3-0 in the Azadi Stadium today. Esteghlal striker Farhad Majidi bagged himself two goals today. Majidi put the hosts ahead after a quarter of an hour before doubling their lead ten minutes after the break. Defender Pejman Montazeri then sealed the victory ten minutes from time.

In Group A’s other fixture, Al-Ahli, who so far have leaked five goals in their first two matches, turned things around against Al Jazira scoring 5 goals and winning 5-1. Ahli took the lead withing 2 minutes of the kick-off through Brazilian striker Victor Simoes and never looked back. Abdulrahim Jezawi scored two goals and the Saudi’s other Brazilian Marcinho also bagged a brace while Ivory Coast striker Toni Nantcho grabbed a consolation for Al-Jazira.

Group B
Zob Ahan 3 – 0 Bunyodkor
Al Wahda 0 – 2 Al Ittihad

Iranian side Zob Ahan stood out after their stunning 3-0 victory over Uzbek glamour side Bunyodkor.  The victory puts them on top of Group B. Two of Zob Ahan’s goals were stand-out with Mohammed Hosseini firing the hosts ahead before Mohammad Ghazi made it 2-0. Mohammad Khalatbari hit the last goal 10 minutes from time.

Former two-time champions and last year’s runners-up Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia picked up their first full points in this year’s competition with a 2-0 defeat of UAE’s Al Wahda.

The Jeddah giants were sitting with a loss and a draw so far in the competition, but goals from Abdulmalik Ziaya and Mohamed Nour helped them to their first win.

Group C
Pakhtakor Tashkent 2–1 Sepahan
Al-Ain 2-1 Al Shabab

An Alexander Geynrikh free kick gave Pakhtakor a deserved win over Iranian champions Sepahan and first place in Group Ch. Artur Geykorian’s low shot put the hosts in front five minutes before the break, only for Ahmad Jamshidian to head in an equaliser in first-half injury time. However, with 20 minutes remaining, Geynrikh swung in a free kick that beat several players before hitting the back of the net. Sepahan have had two draws and a defeat so far, making it difficult for them to progress past this stage.

Al Shabab came into their clash with Al-Ain with a number first team players unavailable and Jaime Pacheco’s side found themselves two down after 25 minutes. Former Flamengo striker Emerson but the hosts on their way 15 minutes in before Argentinian forward Jose Sand doubled their lead ten minutes later. Abdulaziz Bin Saran pulled a goal back for the White Lions but it wasn’t enough to save the 2006 quarter-finalists.

Group D
Al Sadd 4 – 1 Mes Kerman
Al Hilal 1 – 1 Al Ahli

Qatari giants Al Sadd showed Mes Kerman who’s the boss by beating them 4 – 1 whipping at the Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.

Strikes by in-form Brazilian Leandro, who neutralised Mes’ lead through Edinho, before adding another, this was followed by goals from Felipe Jorge and Talal Al Baloushi.

The contest was well over within the hour and Al Sadd are now a point removed from section leaders Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia to whom they lost in their opening match. Mes are stranded on three points.

The other group game between Al Hilal and Al Ahli ended in 1-1 draw. Al Hilal’s form has been such that they were tipped to destroy the visiting side by a huge margin.  But the Saudi champions from Riyadh wasted many opportunities even as Mohamed Al Mahyani put them ahead only for the lead to be cancelled by Hosni Abd Rabou’s stoppage-time heartbreaker.

Al Ahli goalkeeper Abdulla Yousif stood firm and guarded his net against numerous Al Hilal assaults and saw his heavily favoured rivals find the woodwork twice before half-time.

Group E

Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 3-1 Beijing Guoan
Kawasaki Frontale 4-0 Melbourne Victory

Korean side Seongnam Ilhwa Chunwa recovered from a goal down at home to Chinese Super League outfit Beijing Guoan to eventually win 3-1 victory in the closing stages of the game. Maurice Ross gave Beijing an early lead but the hosts drew level through Song Ho-Young. Seongnam went ahead just three minutes from time through the Montenegro midfielder, Dzenan Radoncic, before Jo Jae-Chol wrapped up the points in injury time.

Kawasaki Frontale thrashed an uninspiring Melbourne Victory 4 – 0. After losses to Seongnam and Beijing, Kawasaki needed victory at home to the Australians and three goals within 20 minutes all but ended the game in the fist half.

Chong Tese, the North Korea international, struck three minutes in and the lead was doubled by Masaru Kurotsu eight minutes later. The former Santos player Renantinho made it three and game over just after the 20 minute mark.

Then on the 90th minute when captain Hiroyuki Taniguchi hit the fourth.

Group F
Changchun Yatai 1-2 Jeonbuk Motors
Kashima Antlers 5-0 Persipura

Lee Dong-gook broke Chinese hearts in the northern city of Changchun on Wednesday with a late winner that gives the South Korean champions a huge boost in their bid to reach the second round.

The hosts started well and controlled the first half. After 65 minutes substitute Du Zhenyu scored to put the hosts ahead. The game wasn’t over however, with 12 minutes remaining, Choi Yae-wook equalized from close range.  Heading for a draw, Lee bagged a priceless winner after good work from Seo Jung-jin.

As expected, the Japanese champions Kashima Antlers, beat group whipping boys Persipura 5-0 at the Kashima Soccer Stadium.

After last round’s 9-0 thrashing in China, the result is an improvement of sorts for the Indonesians. Two goals from Brazil’s Marquinhos and solitary strikes from Toru Araiba, Mitsuo Ogasawara and Yuya Osaka won the game for the J-League titans.

Group G
Singapore Armed Forces 2-4 Gamba Osaka
Henan Construction 0-2 Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Gamba Osaka were given a stern test against a determined Singapore Armed Forces but managed to win comfortably in the end 4-2. Shoki Hirai gave Osaka the lead within six minutes from the first whistle but Erwan Gunawan got the hosts level just after the half hour. After Hirai re-established a one-goal advantage after half-time, Singapore managed to peg the visitors back again, through the Sweden international Niklas Sandberg. However, Sota Nakazawa made it 3-2 with 19 minutes left on the clock before Hirai completed his treble with seven minutes to play. The result marked Gamba’s first win this year following two draws and they move onto five points. SAFFC stay bottom with just one point.

In the second Group G game, Brazilian Jose Mota scored twice as Suwon Samsung Bluewings overcame China’s Henan. The 30-year-old hit a second half double to put the K-League side back on top of the table. After three matches, Suwon sit on top with a two-point lead. Henan, with two draws and a loss, are only one point off the bottom.

Group H
Pohang Steelers 1-0 Shandong Luneng
Adelaide United 3-2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Pohand Steelers squeezed past Shandong with a 1-0 win at the Steelyard. Most of the action came at the beginning and at the end of the match. After just five minutes, Noh Byung-joon smashed a free-kick high into the Chinese net.

Then with five minutes to go, Shandong were awarded a penalty after Kim Jung-kyum brought down Benson in the box. Shin Hwa-yong made a brilliant save to deny Deng Zhouxiang’s penalty and move Pohang clear in second place.

Adelaide United came from behind to defeat Sanfrecce Hiroshima to maintain their three from three perfect record in Group H and keep the Japanese team pointless. Hiroshima bounced back after going down early to a Travis Dodd goal and a red card for defender Ilian Stoyanov to equalize and then take the lead in the second half thanks to Kazuyaki Morisaki and Issei Takayanagi. Adelaide however hit back with two late goals from Robert Cornthwaite and Cassio which won them the game and gave them three points to keep them on top of the group.

Adelaide United have all but qualified for the AFC Champions League round of 16  after an epic 3-2 victory over Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Hindmarsh Stadium.

The Reds are sitting on top of Group H with nine points having won all of their three matches.

Adelaide had the better of the first half and went into half time leading 1 -0 after captain Travis Dodd connected with a curling cross from Marcos Flores with a diving header after 11 minutes.

Sanfrecce was under constant pressure from Adelaide’s counter-attacks and on the half-hour defender Ilyan Stoyanov was sent off for a foul on Mathew Leckie as the last man.

Seven minutes into the second half, Sanfrecce equalised when Kazuyuki Morisaki found the corner of the net with a low drive after a poor Reds clearance.

Sanfrecce went in front on 74 minutes when substitute Issei Takayanagi scored with a header. Adelaide replied through Robbie Cornthwaite with a headed goal almost immediately.

Substitute Cassio incredibly put the Reds in the lead once again with a deflected shot from a free kick with only a few minutes to play.

Jinan: Goals in each half from Sergio van Dijk and Matthew Leckie helped Adelaide United to an impressive 2-0 victory over Shandong Luneng at Shandong Sports Centre.

Van Dijk opened the scoring midway through the opening period of the AFC Champions League Group H encounter when the Dutchman got on the end of Lucas Pantelis’ teasing cross at the back post to head the Reds into the lead.

Leckie doubled Adelaide’s lead 20 minutes from the end when the Shandong defence switched off and allowed the youngster to meet Scott Jamieson’s corner unchallenged with a flying header that hit the underside of the bar and bounced over the line.

It was Adelaide’s second consecutive victory in the competition and they now top Group H with a 100% record.

The Reds were content to let Shandong have the lion’s share of possession with the speedy Leckie and Travis Dodd always a threat on the counter.

Adelaide took the lead in the 28th minute. Argentine Marcos Flores sliced open Shandong’s defence as the creative play-maker found Pantelis with a beautifully weighted through-ball.

The diminutive midfielder whipped in an inch-perfect cross with his right boot for van Dijk to score with a free header at the back post.

Flores then nearly claimed his first Adelaide goal when Pantelis found Dodd and the captain did well to hold up possession and find the Argentine inside the box but Li parried his shot.

Jamieson’s resulting corner was met by the charging Leckie in all sorts of space and he powered a flying header past Li that hit the bar and bounced over the line.Jamieson’s resulting corner was met by the charging Leckie in all sorts of space and he powered a flying header past Li that hit the bar and bounced over the line.

Quick summary of the results from the remainder of the Matchday 1 games played overnight in Asia’s premier club competition – Asian Champions League.

Group C

Al-Ain 0–1 Pakhtakor Tashkent
Al Shabab 1-1 Sepahan

Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan grabbed their first win over Al-Ain of the UAE  with a goal from Artur Gevorkyan right on the hour mark.

Saudi club Al Shabab hosted Sepahan from Iran. Their opening game ended 1 -1 after Sultan’s 70th minute equaliser cancelled out Hosseini’s first-half opener.

Group D

Al-Sadd 0-3 Al Hilal
Mes Krman 4–2 Al-Ahli

Saudi reigning champions Al Hilal made the right start with a thumping of Qatar champions Al Sadd in Doha. Yasser Al-Qahtani grabbed a brace before Brazilian Thiago Neves secured a comprehensive victory in the final minute.

Mes Krman celebrated their ACL debut with a 4-2 victory over Dubai based giants Al-Ahli. Krman got thier first goal on the 20 minute mark when Mostafa Sayfi put the hosts ahead. Goals followed from Salem Khamis and Mehrzad Madanchi either side of the break sealing off a great victory.  With 15 minutes remaining the home side clicked back into gear as Mehdi Rajabzadeh grabbed a brace before Ali Samereh put the icing on the cake with seconds remaining.

Group G

Suwon S.B 0–0 Gamba Osaka
Henan Siwu 0–0 Singapore Armed Forces

A very fry goal session for Group G overnight with no goals being recorded in the opening round. Gamba missed several chances with Hideo Hashimoto hitting the woodwork though former Paris St.Germain forward Reinaldo missed a golden opportunity for the Bluewings. Chinese side Henan Jianye were making their debut in the competition and won’t be too disappointed with a point against Richard Bok’s much improved Singapore Armed Forces.

Group H

Adelaide United 1-0 Pohang Steelers
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-1 Shandong Luneng

Adelaide United kicked off their ACL campaign with a tough win at home over reigning champions Pohang Steelers. The only goal of the game came just before half time from Matthew Leckie’s lucky strike. The 19-year-old latched onto a clearance from a Pohang corner and ran the length of the field before Park Hee-Chul deflected an attempted clearance back off the forward’s shin and past a despairing Shin Hwa-Yong in the Steelers goal.

Three-time Chinese champions Shandong Luneng left Sanfrecce’s Hiroshima Big Arch Stadium with Chinese international Han Peng grabbing the game’s only goal 15 minutes from time.

Group H is made up of the following ACL teams.

Adelaide (AUS) – after several very successful season in the A League Adelaide finished last in 2009, but some rebuilding in the last few weeks should se much different side play in ACL 2010. At this stage couldn’t see them progressing past group stage.
Shandong (CHN) – Mid table result in 2009 so they come into the ACL 2010 with a slight cloud hanging over them. 2009 ACL ended in the group stage, so they will be hoping for better this year.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) – finished 4th in 2009 in J League and didn’t feature in the ACL. Japanese teams are who to atch this year so I would rate them a good chance to progress.
Pohang (KOR) – reigning champions but a different team and coach this year will some some instability and an opportunity for some teams to gain some much needed early points.

Group H March Day 1 features:
SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) vs SHANDONG LUNENG FC (CHN) – Hiroshima playing at home will be hard to beat. 2 – 0
ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) vs POHANG STEELERS (KOR) – Adelaide are in season and will cause a few headaches. I am bold in predicting an upset at Hindmarsh.